The Cape Foulweather Gift Shop closed for the season this month and will remain closed through June for construction. There will be limited to no parking at Otter Crest during the work.
“The Lookout at Cape Foulweather” gift shop was built in 1937 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 for its significance to early tourism along the Oregon Coast Highway and its association with the U.S. Coast Guard operations during World War II.
The first phase of the $917,000 project will include:
Exterior repairs and replacement of the roof, windows and siding to address an aging building envelope
Restore the character of the façade with siding materials similar to those used on original building
Structural repairs designed to strengthen the foundation and walls
Enhance safety and increase accessibility through improving entrances
“Generations of visitors have stopped at this little shop to pick up souvenirs and take in the panoramic views from 450 feet up. This work will help preserve the historic building for generations to come,” said Historic Architecture Project Manager Jenny Wilder.
The second phase of the project will focus on accessibility and upgrades to the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems inside the gift shop. Construction is slated to begin in winter 2025 and cost about $500,000.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s mission includes protecting and sharing historic structures like the Cape Foulweather Gift Shop for the enjoyment and education of current and future visitors.
Each biennium, the department spends some of its project funds on historic restoration and maintenance. Upcoming projects also include the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse and Hughes House at Cape Blanco State Park. For more information and updates about the project, visit the park page.
Awhile ago, Lincoln City Homepage was alerted to nefarious shenanigans going on at the Lincoln County Commissioner’s office. Two of three commissioners, and an unelected attorney were making policy decisions behind closed doors. Shutting out other elected officials such as the county Sheriff, the county’s District Attorney and County Commissioner Casey Miller which made us suspect that much was being withheld from the public by the fiat of just a few without full exposure to the sanitizing daylight of public disclosure.
County Commissioner Casey Miller drew the ire of Commissioners Hall and Jacobson along with the unelected county attorney Yullie. All because he wanted transparency and to have questions of procedure addressed publicly.
Instead of being celebrated as a proverbial breath of fresh air in the fat, stale stench of the commissioner’s chamber a torrent of accusations were unleashed on him. Accusing him of disclosing confidential information and “bullying”, someone, without a public notice or vote hired a law firm to “investigate” claims made against him. Infamous Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was famous for saying, “Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime.” How the county authorized anyone to hire an investigator much less begin an investigation without Commissioner Miller having a vote is questionable. If Stalin wore a dress and a man bra he would feel right at home on the Lincoln County Commission.
The second act of this play featured Commissioner Kaety Jacobson abruptly resigning from the council. Which now leaves the commission at two representatives; Miller and Hall. Somehow, without Commissioner Miller’s knowledge, the “county” (whoever that invisible monster might be) decided to appoint someone to Jacobson’s position rather than hold a special election.
Which leads into the third act of this grotesque production. Someone from the county created an application for the position of County Commissioner. Applicants were to fill out the form and submit to the Board of Commissioners by January 28.
Lincoln City Homepage received a copy of the application and immediately red flags and rockets filled the air. We sent a a question to Kenneth Lipp, Public Information Officer for clarification. We asked if the form was an application for a job with Lincoln county to which he replied “No it is not.” Which then begged the follow up question to which we still have not received a response, “Then what is it?”
Dubiously legal questions populated the form. Questions such as “Date of birth.” Clearly illegal in a private sector application (age discrimination). “Social Security Number” which, while not illegal to ask for is highly advised against by most Human Resource departments for the security liability it contains. Other questions bordered on McCarthyesque; Joseph McCarthy’s communist hunt was famous for the question, “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the communist party?” So it seems it’s not entirely out of character for a politburo such as the current county commission and its minions to have created.
The following questions are on the application:
“Have you ever filed for bankruptcy?”
“Have you been disciplined, terminated or asked to resign from a paid or volunteer position?”
“Have you ever been disciplined or cited for a breach of ethics or unprofessional conduct or been the subject of a complaint to any court, administrative agency, professional association, disciplinary committee, or other professional group?”
“Have you ever been involved in civil litigation, or administrative or legislative proceedings of any kind, either as plaintiff, defendant, respondent, witness or party in interest? If yes, please explain.”
“Have you ever run for political office, served on a political committee, or been identified publicly with a particular political organization, candidate or issue?”
“Have you ever had an association with any person or group or business venture which could be used, even unfairly, to impugn or question your character and qualifications for the requested appointment?”
Lincoln City Homepage sent the following questions concerning the application to Lipp and have yet to receive a response of any kind:
1. Where would I find the rules that govern the commission and how it goes about its work?
2. Who authorized the appointment to Jacobson’s position as opposed to holding a special election?
3. Who authored the current application for the position and who approved its use?
4. Who authorized the release of the investigator’s conclusions about Casey Miller (and) who drafted the press release and who authorized its release?
5. Since the Application for the Commissioner’s seat is not (as you noted) a county job application who will see the sensitive (and dubiously legal) information that it requests and who will be in charge of securing it?
6. Will every applicant be given an interview and by who?
We believe these are legitimate questions that deserve an answer. So far, nothing.
But then, just yesterday, we received a copy of an email sent out by Lipp titled “Inadvertent email.” “Hello, all, an email was inadvertently forwarded to this list a few minutes ago. It was recalled, but if you did receive it, please delete that email without reading. Apologies for any confusion.”
Within the body of the email in question was a completed application for the commission position.
It including the applicant’s date of birth, home address, social security number and more. So the question still remains, who will see the information and who will be in charge of securing it? Apparently the answers are Anyone and No One.
The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners needs deep reforming. Unfortunately one of the biggest obstacles to reform was just reelected and seems not interested in transitioning the commission from a good old boys club to one of transparency and honesty.
Lincoln County invites interested county residents to apply to serve the unfinished term of Commissioner Kaety Jacobson, who announced her resignation last week, effective Feb. 14. Jacobson was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022. She announced her resignation in a letter to the public on Jan. 10. Her current term expires Dec. 31, 2026. In accordance with Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS 236.210(2)), the county will accept applications to appoint a commissioner to the remainder of her term. The position of Lincoln County Commissioner is a full-time job. In addition to conducting regular and special business meetings of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, commissioners liaise with county departments and oversee the county administrator and county counsel; serve on the boards of many state, regional, and local agencies and organizations; set county policy; and adopt the county’s annual budget, among other duties. To be eligible, applicants must have been residents of Lincoln County for at least one year (since Jan. 13, 2024, at the latest) and be a registered voter. The application, which is attached to this release, will remain open for two weeks – until 5 p.m. Jan. 28 – after which the two sitting commissioners will conduct interviews and vote to appoint an applicant. Completed applications can be submitted to [email protected]; mailed or delivered to the Lincoln County Courthouse, Room 110 225 W. Olive Street Newport, Oregon 97365; or via FAX at 541-265-4176. For questions, contact Public Information Officer Kenneth Lipp at 541-265-4100 or [email protected]
NEWPORT, Ore. – Commercial Dungeness crab fishing opens Jan. 15 from Cape Falcon, OR to Klipsan Beach, WA. A fourth round of preseason testing in Long Beach, WA shows crab meat fill meets optimal commercial harvest criteria.
Targeted to open Dec. 1, Oregon’s ocean commercial Dungeness crab season can be delayed or partially opened so consumers get a high-quality product and crabs are not wasted.
This year’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery opened December 16, 2024 from Cape Falcon to the California border. The season was delayed in this area due to preseason testing that showed crabs were too low in meat yield in four areas and domoic acid was elevated in crab viscera (guts) in two areas on the south coast.
Check ODFW’s website for more on Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery.
A temporary rule prohibits wild spring Chinook salmon harvest on the mainstem Umpqua River and reduces the North Umpqua bag limit, ODFW announced today.
For a period including February 1 through June 30, 2025;
Only hatchery spring Chinook may be kept on the mainstem Umpqua River. Harvesting wild spring Chinook (jacks and adults) is prohibited.
Just one adult wild spring Chinook per day, 10 per year, may be kept on the North Umpqua River.
Anglers may still retain hatchery spring Chinook.
According to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW),this temporary rule is meant to help protect populations returning to the South and North Umpqua rivers as biologists forecast low returns of adult wild spring Chinook this year.
South Umpqua adult wild spring Chinook counts were low in 2024 with just 111 wild fish, while runs in the North Umpqua were also well below average. This combination of low returns in 2024 and a low forecast in 2025 is triggering the restriction of wild spring Chinook harvest according to the sliding scale in the CMP, ODFW’s Coastal Multi-Species Conservation and Management Plan.
ODFW says it will continue to work with their partners (U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, and NOAA Fisheries) to share information and address habitat and passage issues for spring Chinook in the upper South Umpqua River.
Cape Arago and Shore Acres state parks are closed to vehicle traffic after a landslide undercut a portion of Cape Arago Highway just south of the Sunset Bay State Park on Friday, Jan. 3.
The storm also led to flooding at Sunset Bay State Park where the campground was evacuated around 8 a.m. The campground will remain closed possibly into next week. There were 19 campsites with reservations at the time of the evacuation.
The Sunset Bay day-use area is currently open but could close if flooding continues. Restroom buildings are closed, but portable toilets are currently available in the day-use area.
OPRD does not have an estimate on how long it will take to repair and reopen the Cape Arago Highway, but it could be closed for an extended period. Park staff will assess the damage after the storm subsides this weekend. The road slide is located between Sunset Bay and Shore Acres state parks.
Check the park webpages for any updates on closures or call the park office at 541-888-3778.
Obituary: D. Elaine Barker (1928-2024) passed away December 21, 2024 in Logan, Utah. Long time resident of Lincoln City, OR (1976-2006) Moving there with Husband, Hughby, and daughter, Linda Geurts. A woman of grace and many talents. Worked for a Title Company and then recruited and later retired as a Loan Officer with US Bank. Active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Survived by her sister, Mariylyn Evans, (Jeff), children Bill Geurts, (Debbie), Barbara Tappana, Linda Geurts Bostrom, (Victor) along with Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren and Great Great Grandchildren. Preceded in death by brother Karl Pack, husbands, Glenn Geurts and Hughby Barker, Son, David Geurts, (Mitzi). Funeral services will be on Saturday, December 28, 2024 at 1:00 PM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints North Park 7th Ward Building in Hyde Park Utah. and will be handled by Allen Mortuaries, 34 E Center St. Logan Ut. 84321
Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicles Services is warning Oregonians about a new scam using fake Manufacturer Certificates of Origin to obtain titles for stolen vehicles. An MCO is a document that certifies the original ownership of a vehicle. It’s issued by the manufacturer when a vehicle is produced and contains information like the make, model, year and vehicle identification number.
Crooks are creating fake VINs that appear to be legitimate and adding them to counterfeit Manufacturer Certificates of Origin created by either altering printed information on a genuine certificate or by creating a completely fake version downloaded from the internet. A fake certificate often lists the manufacturer’s name and an out-of-state dealer or distributor as the first buyer.
To determine if your VIN is legitimate, you should:
Run the VIN through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall site. This will show if the VIN on the certificate is one issued by the manufacturer. If no VIN is found, you will get an error message meaning the VIN was not issued by that manufacturer. This search is free. Research the vehicle history through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, a consumer protection database that provides title information from states across the country. Only use an approved National Motor Vehicle Title Information System data provider. These sites will generally charge a nominal fee. If you suspect the certificate or VIN is fraudulent, Oregon DMV recommends you contact the dealer that originally purchased the vehicle from the manufacturer (listed as the buyer on the back or distributor on the front of the certificate) to determine if the vehicle transaction, certificate and VIN are genuine. If the dealer or distributor cannot confirm they purchased the vehicle from the manufacturer, the certificate is probably fake.
If you’re buying a vehicle from someone other than a certified dealer, always take a photo of the seller’s identification and get their contact information. If they have another vehicle – write down or take a photo of the plate on that vehicle.
Oregon DMV is also warning of fraudulent dealerships being set up, giving the appearance of being a legitimate certified dealer. The DMV website provides a look-up tool to verify if the business is a certified dealer DMV strongly urges you to check the website before doing any business with a vehicle dealer in Oregon. You should also verify the person you are dealing with is an employee of the dealership.
For more information, visit Oregon DMV’s dealer web page.
Tree falls into house (representation only) Photo by WAFB
High Wind Warning issued December 25 at 1:35AM PST until December 26 at 4:00AM PST by NWS Portland OR * WHAT…South winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts 55 to 65 mph are expected along the headlands and open exposed areas like the beaches. Elsewhere, expect gusts of 45 to 55 mph. * WHERE…Tillamook County Coast and Central Coast of Oregon. * WHEN…From 8 PM this evening to 4 AM PST Thursday. * IMPACTS…Damaging winds may blow down trees and power lines. Some power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles
The Oregon ocean commercial Dungeness crab fishery is delayed until at least January 15 from Cape Falcon to the Washington border. A third round of preseason testing in Long Beach, WA shows crab meat fill remains lower than required for commercial harvest.
The Dungeness crab need to put on a little more bulk. (AI image via Grok)
Based on this result not meeting Tri-State meat recovery criteria, and in consultation with Washington and California Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Tri-State fishery managers agreed to delay the season from Cape Falcon to Klipsan Beach, WA until at least January 15. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will conduct another round of preseason meat fill testing to help inform whether this area will open January 15 or February 1, 2025
Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery opened Dec. 16 from Cape Falcon to the California border. Despite rough ocean conditions this past week, over 2.5 million pounds of crab were landed into Oregon ports in that area. Price at the docks averaged $4.50 per pound, well above last season’s total season average of $3.79 per pound.
Weekly season opening updates will continue to be posted until the decision is made to open the north coast.
Check ODFW’s website for more on Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery.
“Generations of visitors have stopped at this little shop to pick up souvenirs and take in the panoramic views from 450 feet up. This work will help preserve the historic building for generations to come,” said Historic Architecture Project Manager Jenny Wilder.
Obituary: D. Elaine Barker (1928-2024) passed away December 21, 2024 in Logan, Utah. Long time resident of Lincoln City, OR (1976-2006) Moving there with Husband, Hughby, and daughter, Linda Geurts. A woman of grace and many talents. Worked for a Title Company and then recruited and later retired as a Loan Officer with US Bank. Active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Survived by her sister, Mariylyn Evans, (Jeff), children Bill Geurts, (Debbie), Barbara Tappana, Linda Geurts Bostrom, (Victor) along with Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren and Great Great Grandchildren. Preceded in death by brother Karl Pack, husbands, Glenn Geurts and Hughby Barker, Son, David Geurts, (Mitzi). Funeral services will be on Saturday, December 28, 2024 at 1:00 PM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints North Park 7th Ward Building in Hyde Park Utah. and will be handled by Allen Mortuaries, 34 E Center St. Logan Ut. 84321
